PMK not to support July 5 strike

Chennai: Keeping equi distance between both
BJP-led NDA and AIADMK-MDMK Left front in Tamil Nadu, PMK
today said it would not participate in the nationwide bandh on
July 5 to protes against the petroleum products price hike.

In a statement, PMK founder Dr S Ramadoss said both the
fronts, which were holding diametrically opposite views on all
issues, had, in order to get political mileage, called for the
strike on the same day.

"Political mileage overtook people`s welfare in the bandh
calls and hence PMK would not be participating in the
protest," he said.

Refuting the claim of JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav that PMK
had agreed to participate in the bandh, he said Yadav had
telephoned him seeking support for the bandh, but he had told
him that he would consult PMK leaders before taking a
decision. The leaders had decided against supporting or
participating in the bandh, he said.

The Centre should have avoided the fuel price hike, he
said and demanded rollback of the prices of keresene and
LPG.